Recently, I have been on a documentary watching binge and stumbled upon, quite possibly, one of the best documentaries I have watched in awhile, "Faces Places." The premise of the documentary is quite niche: an aged French New Wave director Agnès Varda and photographer muralist JR travel throughout rural parts of France putting up different murals of people in the town as well as forming an unlikely bond along the way. Now, as strange as this premise sounds it ends up being quite possibly the best combination that could happen.
The documentary is quite short, only an hour and 34 minutes. But within that hour and 34 minutes, I laughed, cried, and thought much more than I thought I would. Varda may seem sweetly docile in the beginning but throughout the documentary she proves she is quite the force to be reckoned with. She doesn't let her age, gender, height, or anything about her stop her from speaking her mind, sharing her ideas, and showing her emotions. Agnès becomes the center that connects almost every person her and JR meet along the way.
And that is what makes this particular documentary so special, the emphasis and showcase on human connection. It is a truly special thing to witness people come together and bond over things in life that are seemingly monotonous, but the fabric that connects us all as humans. Whether that be a French farmer in Normandy or even the deep friendship that forms between Agnès and JR, the bonds that spontaneously form between the people in this documentary are as unique, special, and heartwarming as the documentary itself.
More than the bonds and friendships that happen in this documentary, there is also a strong emphasis on art. And finding the beauty of art through the seemingly monotonous, everyday instances and people in day-to-day life. The murals Agnès and JR put up around France showcase beauty, personal experience, heartache, love, and just about anything else that you could imagine. They are truly poetic in nature.
Overall, this documentary is a great, heartfelt watch without diving too deep into political and social commentary as it seems so many documentaries strive to do today. Don't let the French audio and (I am assuming) need for English subtitles stop you from watching what truly is a masterpiece of a documentary.
